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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25473082">The Castle</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotInPublic/pseuds/NotInPublic'>NotInPublic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Last Kingdom (TV), The Warrior Chronicles | The Saxon Stories - Bernard Cornwell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Eventual Smut, I couldn't help myself, Kinda, M/M, Slow Burn, Swearing, more like a medium burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:49:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,450</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25473082</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotInPublic/pseuds/NotInPublic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Restaurant AU - Finan is awkward, Osferth sees everything, Sihtric loves to gossip and Uhtred is annoyingly good at everything.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Finan/Uhtred of Bebbanburg</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Bumpy Start</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Finan groaned as the alarm clock shrieked beside his head, flailing an arm out of the duvet to silence it.</p><p>Tentatively, he opened his eyes before shutting them again quickly against sunlight streaming through the crack in the curtains. He hated mornings.</p><p>"Finan get up, you lazy arse! You're going to be late again!"</p><p>Charming, Finan thought. His housemate, Sihtric, always had such a loving way of speaking to him. If he just closed his eyes for one more...</p><p>"Now!" Sihtric called again, his words being joined by a rap against the door this time.</p><p>"Alright alright you nag. I'm up!" Finan growled tersely. Sighing, he kicked his legs over the side of the bed and sat on the edge of the mattress, contemplating how much he would prefer to be asleep at that current moment. Pulling on a t-shirt, he begrudgingly stumbled into the kitchen where Sihtric thrust a coffee into his outstretched hand.</p><p>"Mornin'" Finan mumbled as he sank into one of the kitchen table chairs.</p><p>"If you can call 3pm morning" Sihtric levelled him with an arched eyebrow before grinning at Finan's dishevelled state.</p><p>Finan simply hummed in response, sipping his coffee. Perhaps 3pm wasn't strictly morning but in his defence, he hadn't fallen asleep until 4am.</p><p>"You better get a move on, or you really will be late. Alf will tear you a new one, regardless of how good you are at your job"</p><p>Sihtric's words shook Finan out of his sleepy musings. He was right, Alfred- the owner of the hotel they both worked at- really would tear him a new one if he were late. He could already hear the lecture he would get, along the lines of 'what impression do you think this sets to the new servers?' blagh blagh blagh. It was alright for Sihtric. He always seemed full of energy, regardless of the time of day. Some people just needed their beauty sleep.</p><p>"I know, I know" he grumbled, downing the last of his coffee before rising from the chair. He'd been working at The Castle for four years now, Sihtric had joined about a year after him and they'd become housemates not long after. While they worked opposite shifts for the most part, it was rare to find another long term member of the wait staff, between the stream of students who joined the team on temporary contracts during the peak seasons. They'd quickly found that while their schedules were vastly different, their senses of humour and interests were almost identical.</p><p>The Castle was, for the most part, a good place to work. A privately owned hotel that served mostly people travelling on business and the occasional tourist, each day was usually the same as the last. It was easy work but Finan enjoyed it. He prided himself on his and the other staff's meticulous service. Sure, it was a little old fashioned, but he thought that just added to it's charms.</p><p>After a shower and a change into his work uniform, he was about to head out of the door when Sihtric called from the kitchen.</p><p>"Remember, there's that new staff member joining your shift tonight. He's another full timer, so play nicely."</p><p>Crap! The new starter. Finan had completely forgotten. As the most experienced server, it was usually his job to show new starters the ropes. Even more important that he was on time then.</p><p>"Thanks for the reminder." He called back, then adding "I'll tell you all about him when I get back."</p><p>Finan knew what a gossip Sihtric was. No doubt the entire of the morning shift would know all about them by the end of service tomorrow, poor guy.</p><p>***</p><p>Finan entered the kitchen almost a whole 10 minutes early for his shift, a feat almost unheard of. "Your eyes do not deceive you, I have arrived" he called as he swung through the door, ready to greet Annie - the long serving (and long suffering) head chef. Rather than receiving the wry shake of the head he had been expecting however, he almost toppled into Annie who was roaring with laughter at what someone had said.</p><p>"Oh Finan" she sobered, greeting him with a belated smile "this is Uhtred, he's been telling me the funniest story" she barely finished the sentence before descending into laughter once more. Giving up on sensible conversation, he looked up at the unfamiliar Uhtred, who was laughing too. This must be the new starter, Finan thought. Hang on a second, shouldn't Finan be the one introducing him? Who did he think he was, leaning against the kitchen worktop, chatting to Annie like he'd been there for years? Finan felt something stir in his stomach, it wasn't quite dislike but it certainly could have been distrust. The man, Uhtred, seemed to ooze confidence. As if to reinforce that fact, as Finan made his assessment, Uhtred leaned forward with a hand extended towards him.</p><p>"It's good to meet you Finan, I've heard lots about you from Annie."</p><p>Oh, had he now? Finan's hackles rose further. It was almost as if he were new, he thought. The nerve! Reaching out to shake Uhtred's hand, Finan griped perhaps slightly harder than he could have and spoke in his best customer facing voice.</p><p>"Its good to meet you too Uhtred, don't believe everything Annie here says, she's a devil." Annie seemed to notice his cool manner and shot him a confused glance. Usually, Finan was the first person to pull someone into the team with open arms and a ready joke. What was this oddly professional front about?</p><p>"Ah Finan, you're here, good!" They were saved by Alfred entering the kitchen and making a beeline for them "and you've already met Uhtred, very good. I've explained that you'll be showing him around tonight, though from his considerable experience, it doesn't look as though that will be too difficult a job." Alf smiled at Uhtred, who returned it with one of his own. Wait, what now? It had taken Finan an age to win Alfred's approval, famed for his meticulously high standards. He'd worked hard to gain his trust. Yet here he was dolling out compliments after five minutes to a near stranger? Fantastic.</p><p>"That's what I like to hear" he managed to reply cheerfully to Alfred "well, since you're here already, why don't we get started showing you around?" Finan turned to Uhtred, customer service mode now fully activated as he flashed a smile at the newcomer.</p><p>"Sure, that sounds great!" Uhtred replied cheerfully, either oblivious to or choosing not to notice the other man's stilted welcome.</p><p>Unfortunately, however, it seemed as though Alf had been correct. Uhtred seemed to pick everything up annoyingly quickly. After a thorough tour of the restaurant, demonstration of how to seat customers and input their orders to the system, Finan gave Uhtred a table of his own to serve. If he had hoped the other man's cool, confident exterior would waver, he was disappointed. In any other circumstance, Finan would be impressed. As it was, he just simmered silently.</p><p>"You feel threatened." Osferth levelled a finger at him when they were stood in the bar area alone, Uhtred taking his tables' desserts out and pausing to laugh with the customer. Why did he feel the need to talk to everyone as though they were lifelong friends?</p><p>Finan bristled "I do not!" He replied and even to his ears, his voice sounded brittle. Osferth's face broke into a grin "yes you do!" His tone victorious "you feel threatened because there's finally someone who works the customers as well as you." He finished with a smug look and Finan felt his ears burn.</p><p>"I-" he began and abruptly stopped again "there's just something I'm not sure about, it seems like a front." He paused again before putting on a grin "though at least we may finally have another useful member of staff, unlike your useless arse!" He nudged Osferth in the side, who grinned ruefully.</p><p>Osferth was Alf's son, who joined the team intermittently around his English degree. Working behind the bar suited his reserved character but his quiet manner hid a wicked sense of humour. Finan liked the boy, though took every opportunity to poke fun at him as the baby of the evening shift. Uhtred had joined them as Finan joked with Osferth and he smiled at the laughing men almost hesitantly, hovering at the edge of the bar. Perhaps Uhtred hadn't been as immune to Finan's less than warm reception as it had first seemed then, he thought with a tinge of shame. Was Osferth right, did he feel threatened? While he didn't want to admit it, it was a possibility. There was no escaping the fact that this new Uhtred was an excellent fit for the job. He had taken everything that Finan had thrown at him in his stride.</p><p>Then of course, there was the small matter of him being one of the best looking men Finan had met in a long time. The warm smile that he directed at everyone he met had stopped Finan in his tracks the second he saw him. He also had the bluest pair of eyes Finan had ever seen. Added to the way his uniform clung to the muscles around his arms... Okay, perhaps he was threatened.</p><p>For years he had revelled in his ability to charm almost any customer that entered the restaurant. Osferth, bless him, had a sharp mind and a caring heart but no great talent in playing a room and other temporary staff members were more interested in getting through their shifts than winning people over. But this new addition to the team was so personable, it was almost hard to believe. Finan cursed inwardly. He felt threatened.</p><p>God the thought alone was enough to make him cringe. Who did he think <em>he</em> was? Finan felt the knot of unease turn to churning gilt in his stomach as he realised what an arse he had been.</p><p>"Osferth here was telling me about his latest date, weren't you Osferth?" He covered smoothly, and as Osferth spluttered something about 'I'm glad my love life is such a joke to you", he met Uhtred's gaze fully for the first time that night.</p><p>Uhtred smiled at him then, a smile that made his eyes crinkle at the edges and Finan's guilt deepened. It was a smile that said he knew exactly what Finan had been up to for the last few hours and that he had realised something had shifted, thawed. It was a smile that saw straight through the Irishman. And for the first time in a long time, Finan was lost for words, trapped by that blue unwavering stare. He spent the rest of the shift in an oddly introspective mood. Outwardly, he was his usual joking and calm self. Inwardly however, he felt like a ship on a rough sea.</p><p>He wasn't used to feeling on the back foot and he didn't like it. By the end of service, he felt wrung out. Undoing the knot securing his apron, he sighed loudly.</p><p>"That doesn't sound like someone who's almost finished work for the night" a voice behind him spoke and Finan jumped at it's closeness.</p><p>When he turned around Uhtred was leaning against the bar a few feet from him. Those blue eyes seemed to pierce him again.</p><p>"So, what did you think of your first shift?" Finan recovered with a smile, pointedly ignoring Uhtred's comment.</p><p>"It was, interesting" the other man replied, pausing before the last word and Finan struggled not to wince "it seems like a really nice team" he added with a smile to match Finan's.</p><p>"It is" Finan agreed, tidying away some of the clean glasses ready for the breakfast service in the morning. Sihtric would have his guts if he left a mess one more time. That man could be scary when he wanted to be.</p><p>"Where did you work before here?" Finan asked as he tidied and noted gratefully that Uhtred joined him in the work.</p><p>"I was Maitre d' at my father's restaurant" Uhtred answered with a small sigh "But he decided to sell up on his retirement, so here I am."</p><p>That was where his effortless charm came from then, Finan thought and he wondered whether there was more to the story than Uhtred was letting on.</p><p>"Well it's good to have you on the team" he replied, in an effort to ease the slight tension that had settled over the conversation. What was going on with him tonight? It was like he'd forgotten how to behave normally, his words coming out clumsy and awkward. He was saved by Osferth returning from the kitchen with a tray of cleaned cutlery. Finan greeted the sight with a mixture of weariness and happiness. Polishing the cutlery was the last job of the evening, but it was also the job he liked the least. Give him customers to win over any day but polishing cutlery made him want to cry with boredom.</p><p>"I bring gifts!" Osferth settled the tray on the counter top with a flourish, darting a conspiratorial look at Uhtred "get ready for a lot of complaining" he explained his words by nodding his head at Finan.</p><p>"I do not complain!" The Irishman replied with mock outrage "it's not my fault if it's the worst job of the evening!"</p><p>Uhtred smiled conspiratorially at Osferth and they both laughed at Finan's indignation. Soon, however, they settled into an easy silence as they worked. The extra pair of hands helped to make quick work of the job and Finan did his best to stifle his complaints, much to Osferth's enjoyment.</p><p>"Urgh but if this isn't the most pointless job in the world!" He finally burst, unable to contain himself any longer "what is the point of polishing things that people are just going to get dirty all over again?"</p><p>"Told you" Osferth sang triumphantly and Uhtred laughed again. The sound made Finan's stomach clench. It was a deep, belly laugh, the kind that made it impossible not to laugh along with. Despite himself, Finan found himself laughing too. When they were finished and all of the jobs for the evening had been ticked off, Finan felt almost reluctant to leave the warmth of the restaurant. Or perhaps it was a reluctance to leave the company of this man who had so unsettled him earlier but now intrigued Finan, with his easy smile and quick humour. Perhaps it was the desire to make up for his earlier bad behaviour.</p><p>The change in Finan hadn't gone unnoticed by his colleagues either. Annie and Osferth shared a knowing glance with one another as Finan and Uhtred headed to collect their coats from the small staff room.</p><p>"Well that was an interesting shift" Annie raised her eyebrows and let out a long breath.</p><p>"That is an understatement" Osferth agreed, pulling on his own coat "he hasn't acted so strangely since that last minute menu change a few Christmases ago."</p><p>Annie's reply was cut short by Finan re-entering the room and she had to content herself with a firm nod of agreement to Osferth's assessment. Their friend's feathers had been well and truly ruffled by their new arrival.</p><p>***</p><p>Finan's introspective mood lasted his entire walk back home. He was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly jumped out of his skin when he walked into the dimmed living room to Sihtric watching him like a hawk.</p><p>"Jesus man, haven't you heard of a lamp?" He cried, his heart pounding in his chest.</p><p>"Someone's a little jumpy tonight" Sihtric teased, making space for Finan on the sofa "so? Please tell me I haven't waited up for nothing! Tell me all about the new guy!" He clutched his tea in anticipation.</p><p>Finan couldn't for the life of him understand why Sihtric drank the God awful stuff. Regular breakfast tea was one thing, but the chamomile monstrosity he saved for the evenings made him heave.</p><p>"Oh" Finan started lamely "well, he's alright. I think he'll make a good addition to the team."</p><p>"That can't be it! Where's the goss?" Sihtric looked a little deflated at Finan's lack of detail.</p><p>"There isn't any" he replied, trying his best to push the thought of blue eyes and muscled arms from his mind "he's going to be really good if this evening was anything to go by. And you should get to bed! You'll regret it in the morning if you stay up much later."</p><p>Sihtric knew that pressing his friend for further details would be fruitless. "How boring! Yeah you're right." He uncurled from his spot on the sofa and moved to the door "I'll see you tomorrow" he yawned as if on queue.</p><p>"I'll see you tomorrow" Finnan replied with a small smile, feeling guilty that Sihtric had stayed up only to be disappointed "sleep well."</p><p>When Sihtric had gone, however, Finan regretted encouraging him to leave. His mood wasn't improved by solitude. Giving up on doing anything useful, he started scrolling through Facebook. Soon, however, the words blurred before his eyes and instead, he spent far too many hours brooding about blue eyes before finally heaving himself into bed for a restless nights sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Plan</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was Sihtric's turn to jump the next day when he returned from his morning shift to find Finan cleaning the kitchen sides like they had personally offended him. After his initial shock at seeing Finan out of bed before 2pm, Sihtric grinned to himself. Looks as though rumours might have been true after all.</p><p>
  <em>Aethelflaed, who was Alfred's daughter worked on the morning shift with Sihtric. She was close to her half-brother, Osferth who was Alf's son from a previous relationship and had wasted no time seeking out Sihtric that morning to share the news he had told her the night before. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Apparently Finan was really weird with the new server last night" she had whispered to him as they replenished the breakfast buffet "he was really off with him for some reason and he spent most of the night brooding. You know how he gets."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aethelflaed knitted her eyebrows together and frowned in a very convincing impression of a brooding Finan. Sihtric barked with laughter and nodded in agreement.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yes, exactly like that."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He absorbed the news with interest. Finan's strange mood last night starting to make a little more sense.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Osferth said he thinks Finan might fancy him" Aethelflaed's face twisted out of the frown and into a conspiratorial grin "the new guy- not Osferth that is."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No way!" Sihtric laughed again. Could that explain Finan's strange behaviour? Who would have thought it? The ever cool and collected Finan, getting flustered because he liked someone!</em>
</p><p>Watching said man in a cleaning frenzy now, however, Sihtric thought Osferth might just be on to something.</p><p>"You'll wear a hole in that worktop if you wipe it much more" he called to Finan from the doorway, who pulled an earphone out and sent Sihtric a dark look.</p><p>"I wouldn't have to if you didn't insist on splashing food on every surface within arm's reach."</p><p>Sihtric's grin just widened. He loved it when Finan was in a mood, it was so easy to wind him up.</p><p>"I'm just an expressive cook, what can I say?" He poured himself a glass of water before turning back to Finan "so nothing else to report from last night?" He ventured, wondering if he could tease a little more information out of him.</p><p>"No, why? Should there be? People came, they ate, they left- the usual. I'm making a sandwich for lunch, would you like one?" The words came out in a defensive flurry and Sihtric's suspicions solidified.</p><p>"Yes please. Did you know that Edward's girlfriend is pregnant? Apparently Alf isn't best pleased. I recon he sees a little bit of history repeating, if you know what I mean."</p><p>" Ecgwynn is pregnant?" Finan latched on to Sihtric's change of conversation gratefully as he carried two plates over to the kitchen table "Jesus, I didn't think the kid had it in him"</p><p>It took every ounce of Sihtric's self control not to reply 'coming from someone who clams up just because he fancies someone?' though he just about resisted.</p><p>"But they seem happy" Finan continued "it's more than can be said for a lot of people, regardless of age."</p><p>"Yeah but you know how Alf can get, on his moral high horse as though he's never done anything wrong in his life." Sihtric spoke around a mouthful of sandwich and Finan shot him a mildly distateful look before nodding in agreement.</p><p>"Ah but our young Osferth is proof to suggest otherwise, isn't he?" </p><p>They fell into a comfortable silence as they finished their meal.</p><p>"Fancy a game?" Finan broke the silence after a while.</p><p>"Go on then" Sihtric shrugged before jumping out of his seat "race you for the red one!"</p><p>They bumped and jostled eachother down the corridor towards their living room, Finan pushing Sihtric into the wall to gain the lead, only for Sihtric to grab hold of Finan's belt and tug him backwards to claim the victory.</p><p>He brandished the red Joy Con with smug satisfaction. Muttering something about how his performance didn't need any help, Finan snatched up the blue controller.</p><p>Mario Kart was a very serious matter in their household. Since they'd invested in a Switch the year before, it had become a key decider in their friendship. Who was cooking that night? Mario Kart. Who's turn was it to clean the bathroom that week? Mario Kart. It had gotten so bad that their other friends refused to play with them. </p><p>"Yeah, yeah whatever" Sihtric grinned as he set up the game "everyone knows the red controller makes you go faster!"</p><p>Finan just rolled his eyes.</p><p>***</p><p>"Noo! That's so unfair!" Finan cried "Did you see that? I was this close and that bloody shell got me right at the end!" </p><p>Sihtric, as the benefactor of said shell chose to adopt a dignified silence in his victory.</p><p>"Why does that always happen to- God look at the time! I've got to get ready!"</p><p>Sihtric glanced at the clock and saw it was nearly 3.30pm. Finan was right, if he didn't hurry, he'd be late for work. </p><p>"Go on, I'll clear up" he gestured towards the door, as though this exact thing hadn't happened a thousand times before.</p><p>"Cheers Sihtric, you're an angel" Finan slapped him on his shoulder before running in the direction of his room.</p><p>***</p><p>If Finan had hoped the night before would be a one off, he was sorely mistaken.</p><p>He'd entered the restaurant having given himself a stern talking to and was determined to just relax and just do his job like normal.</p><p>The moment the door to the staff room opened behind him, however, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Osferth was already wiping down the bar ahead of the dinner service so that only left one other person who could have entered the room. His suspicions were confirmed when he heard Uhtreds deep voice greet him. Finan couldn't quite put a finger on his soft accent.</p><p>"Hey" Finan replied lamely... Hey?! He really needed to stop watching teen dramas. They were clearly getting to him.</p><p>"Looking forward to your second shift?" He tried again, attempting to atone for his less than warm behaviour the night before. A shiver of embarrassment ran through him at the recent memory. Hostility had never been Finan's strong point.</p><p>"I am" Uhtred nodded and Finan found himself fascinated by his locker key as the other man pulled off his t-shirt and replace it with his uniform shirt. </p><p>"Good! I thought you might like a few more tables tonight?" Finan tore his eyes away from the key to meet Uhtred's startlingly blue pair. </p><p>"That would be great" Uhtred replied, giving Finan that smile that made his eyes crinkle at the edges again and the room suddenly felt far too small and far too hot.</p><p>"Great" Finan echoed. What on earth was wrong with him? 'I'll see you outside" he smiled once more at the other man before making a swift exit.</p><p>***</p><p>The shift that followed did little to boost Finan's slightly dented pride. While Uhtred seemed to dazzle every table he served, leaving a stream of smiling faces in his wake, Finan felt awkward and clumsy.</p><p>The jokes he made with customers seemed to fall flat and he kept having to ask people for their orders twice. At one point, he almost forgot to put a table's order into the system, resulting in a 20 minute delay to their food and him having to apologise profusely for their wait.</p><p>Osferth's smug grins at Finan while Uhtred's back was turned did nothing to soothe his jumpy nerves either. </p><p>***</p><p>Sihtric snuck in through the back door of the kitchen ,under the pretense of collecting the charger that he had "accidentally left" in the staff room that morning. In reality, he couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. He had to get a glimpse of the mysterious Uhtred, Lord of all things Front of House, who'd had such a strange effect on Finan.</p><p>He was just taking a peep out of the serving hatch towards the restaurant, however, when he heard his name being called. Sihtric jumped back as though he'd been scalded.</p><p>"Sihtric!" Annie barked at the intruder to her kitchen mid-service "what are you doing here?" </p><p>"I forgot my charger" he explained lightly, gesturing in the direction of the staff room. </p><p>"Well you're looking in the wrong direction" Annie pointed out, as if Sihtric might not know. </p><p>"Alright" he said with a wry grin, deciding to come clean "I wanted to see the new guy for myself. Finan's been acting strangely since he got back from work last night and I wanted to find out why." He deliberately left out what Aethelflaed had told him earlier.</p><p>The understanding look Annie gave him in response, however, told Sihtric that she might just be in on the game. "You're right" she agreed "he almost forgot to put a customer's order in earlier."</p><p>Things must really be bad, Sihtric thought. Finan knew his job inside out and rarely made a mistake like that.</p><p>"I've heard the new guy is good though?" He sidestepped the comment out of loyalty to his friend.</p><p>"He's excellent, might even give Finan a run for his money when it comes to customer service." She paused, sniffing "Is that burning I can smell?" Before Sihtric could reply, Annie had shot off in the direction of the oven.</p><p>That left Sihtric to his spying game. Before long, he caught a glimpse of the mystery man and honestly, Sihtric could see what all the fuss had been about. He wasn't usually the type to notice men, always preferring women himself but even he had to admit that the new server was hot. He was currently engaged in conversation with a thoroughly engrossed table of female customers, who appeared to hang on his every word. He apparently made a joke as he collected their menus and Sihtric could swear he saw one of them actually swoon.</p><p>Assessment made, Sihtric sought out Finan next. Jackpot, he thought when he spied the Irishman replacing the receipt paper, sending furtive glances Uhtred's way. Oh he was so busted!!</p><p>Sihtric nearly cackled when Uhtred started back towards the bar area and Finan made a not so subtle run for it. It was like watching a child catch their first playground crush. Adorable and overall pathetic. </p><p>What really pricked Sihtric's attention, however, was the way Uhtred's eyes scanned the area where Finan had been. He could swear he saw a flash of dissapointment when he realised Finan had dissapeared. But it was gone as soon as it came and Sihtric was left wondering if he'd really seen anything at all.</p><p>Still, he thought, if he had seen what he thought he'd seen, then that made everything a lot more fun.</p><p>Sihtric had a plan.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Lunch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Do you think I should start going to the gym?" Finan asked Sihtric as he entered the living room, examining himself critically in the mirror.</p>
<p>"Why break the habit of a lifetime? Though if you're worried, changing the diet of carbs, carbs and a few more carbs might be the first place to start." Sihtric smiled, but seeing that his friend was not in a joking mood, he tried again "of course not, you look fine."</p>
<p>He would bet his life savings that Finan's sudden interest in his appearance had something to do with a certain someone at work. A certain rather muscled, new someone at that.</p>
<p>"Fine?" Finan rounded on Sihtric with mock outrage "Fine? Oh cheers, I really want to look Fine" he huffed before returning back to the mirror "I think I've got some grey hairs coming too."</p>
<p>Now this was just rediculous. Cutting Finan's pity party short, Sihtric shared his news.</p>
<p>"I'm working the evening shifts next week" he said lightly, as if it had been a shock to him. In reality, he'd made about three phone calls to find out which team member was working on the evening shift with Finan and Uhtred. They had a large group booking, travelling to attend a conference so Alf had scheduled three servers instead of two. Luckily, it was Lucy who had been drafted in. She had always preferred early shifts and had happily agreed to swap with Sihtric.</p>
<p>His plan was officially in action.</p>
<p>"Really?" Finan looked shocked "I thought Lucy was scheduled?"</p>
<p>"She was, but she asked if I could swap with her. Something about plans with her boyfriend one night in the week" Sihtric lied easily but he swallowed down his conscience. After all, white lies didn't matter-right?</p>
<p>****</p>
<p>The week that followed was shaping up to be a nightmare for Finan. Not only had his awkwardness continued but having Sihtric on shift was like working with a chat show host. The guy just didn't know when to shut up.</p>
<p>"So how long have you lived around here? Sihtric asked Uhtred, who shrugged. They were stood at the bar during a lull in service.</p>
<p>"I've actually only just moved here. I lived up north for a while, and in Denmark before that." </p>
<p>That explained the mystery accent, Finan thought. Perhaps on reflection, Sihtric's constant conversation wasn't all that bad after all. Especially when he was asking questions that he'd himself been avoiding for days.</p>
<p>"Really? That must be a little lonely. You should come over to ours sometime, Finan and I are housemates. Finan here can make you some of his famous cake!"</p>
<p>Finan nearly squeaked in alarm and wanted to cover Sihtric's mouth with his hand. Did Uhtred look like the kind of person who ate cake? And what made Sihtric think he would want to be friends with them? Uhtred was effortlessly cool - they used Mario Kart to decide who did the washing up for God's sake!</p>
<p>Before he could move, however, Uhtred was nodding entheusiastically and returning Sihtric's smile "I'd like that, thank you."</p>
<p>Finan's stomach knotted further. He sent the other two men a smile that he hoped was inviting but was probably more of a grimace. Coughing awkwardly, he focused his attention on organising the menus into a neat pile.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>"Please don't hate me" Sihtric started as they walked to work together on Thursday and Finan swallowed hard. </p>
<p>"Why would I hate you?" He ventured tentatively.</p>
<p>"Well, you know how I invited Uhtred round to ours?" Sihtric continued sheepishly.</p>
<p>"Yes? And he's coming to lunch tomorrow..." Finan urged him to continue, stomach rising to his mouth.</p>
<p>"I can't make it" the words left Sihtric's mouth in a flurry "I completely forgot that I'd promised to go to the cinema with Aethelflaed." </p>
<p>"That's okay" Finan said quickly "we can reschedule with Uhtred, I'm sure he won't mind" truth be told, he was so anxious about Uhtred coming over that it was a relief.</p>
<p>"But we can't" Sihtric shook his head pleadingly "if we cancel, he'll think we've changed our minds. You know he's new here-"</p>
<p>Finan groaned. He knew Sihtric was right. </p>
<p>"Fine, fine. Go with Aethelflaed, I can have lunch with Uhtred. That way, he'll see you for the slippery snake you are!" He poked Sihtric in the side, who yelped before sending Finan a grateful look.</p>
<p>"Thank you, I owe you one. You're the best."</p>
<p>Finan certainly didn't feel the best. In fact, he was trying very hard at that exact moment not to be sick. Sihtric on the other hand was battling to keep the victorious grin off his face. His plan was coming together.</p>
<p>By midday the next day, Finan had cleaned the house from top to bottom, changed three times, then cleaned the house once more for good luck. Sihtric was lucky he was out with Aethelflaed because if he were in, Finan would have wrung his scrawny neck.</p>
<p>The knock on the door was the final straw for Finan's shot nerves. Mentally shaking himself, Finan told himself he'd get no chocolate for a week if he didn't calm down. He took a deep breath. He was a grown man for God's sake.</p>
<p>Opening the door to Uhtred smiling up at him, in a t-shirt that clung to his arms and fitted jeans, however, didn't help matters. The sun was shining and hilighted golden strands in his hair.</p>
<p>Aiming for a casual smile, Finan welcomed him in with a wave of his arm.</p>
<p>"Hey, come on in! How are you doing?" He asked as he led the other man down the hall to the living room.</p>
<p>"Good thank you" Finan could hear Uhtred's smile in his voice "you?</p>
<p>Finan nodded "yeah, yeah good thanks. Tea? Coffee?" He bit his tongue before he could list the entire contents of their kitchen cupboard.</p>
<p>"Coffee, please" Uhtred smiled as he took a seat on the sofa.</p>
<p>Finan nodded and started off to the kitchen before running back into the living room "Sihtric made a pie for lunch. He didn't know if you were vegetarian so is leek and mushroom okay?" </p>
<p>"That's perfect, thank you." He nodded and Finan felt himself begin to relax.</p>
<p>Sliding the pie into the oven, he carried two mugs of coffee back to the living room.</p>
<p>"Thank you" Uhtred smiled appreciatively as he took one of the mugs from Finan, taking a sip as the other man sat down.</p>
<p>"Where is Sihtric by the way?" Uhtred looked to the living room door as though Sihtric might be hiding in the hallway.</p>
<p>"Oh sorry I didn't say, he forgot that he'd agreed to go to the cinema with Alfred's daughter, Aethelflaed. Have you met her yet?"</p>
<p>Uhtred shook his head but motioned Finan to continue "she's great, much more fun than her father. Anyway, between you and me, Sihtric fancies one of her friends and wants to stay on her good side so she'll put in a good word for him." They both laughed at that and Finan added belatedly "he's sorry that he couldn't make it though."</p>
<p>"No worries" Uhtred said honestly. He took a sip of his coffee before continuing "so you and Sihtric aren't..." He trailed off and Finan laughed again, this time in suprise.</p>
<p>"No, God, no. I mean, Sihtric's great but no." Finan shook his head comically and Uhtred nodded, pensive.</p>
<p>"How about you?" The words were out of his mouth before Finan could swallow them down and he wanted to pluck them back out of mid air. Was this what an out of body experience was like?</p>
<p>Uhtred seemed unfazed by the question however and grinned cheekily "Sihtric? Oh no, he's not my type" sobering, Uhtred shook his head "No, there's no one. At the moment."</p>
<p>Finan's stomach did a somersault at that. Uhtred fixed him with another piercing stare and Finan could only nod mutely.</p>
<p>With nothing to add, he took another drink of coffee. Recovering, he asked Uhtred about his oppinions on current TV shows. After the brief bumb, their conversation flowed naturally and just as Finan was making Uhtred roar with laughter at a story from his days in school, an awful smell drifted into the room. He looked down, realising that his coffee had gone cold. He could have sworn he'd only made it ten minutes ago...</p>
<p>"Shit, the pie!" Finan jumped from his chair and ran to the kitchen, pulling open the oven door open to find their dinner singed to a crisp.</p>
<p>"Argh but Sihtric's gonna kill me." He shook his head, before turning to Uhtred who had followed him into the kitchen to stare at him in amusement. Finan felt a blush creep across his cheeks "change of plan. How does a sandwich sound?" </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Sihtric looked up with a satisfied grin as Finan and Uhtred walked into work that evening, engrossed in conversation. Uhtred laughed at something Finan had said and Sihtric noted with approval that the later had finally seemed to relax in the other man's presence. It was a good thing too, he had been on the right path for a heart attack the way he'd been going.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The shift that evening had gone better than any since Uhtred's arrival, Finan thought once everything had been cleaned away and they were collecting their coats from the staff room. If tips were anything to go by, the customers thought so too. </p>
<p>Sihtric yawned expansively "I'm glad this week's nearly over. I'll be glad to start working normal hours again!"</p>
<p>Finan laughed, poking Sihtric in the side "don't worry, you'll be back to your early bird schedule next week princess." He glanced over to Uhtred before explaining "Sihtric likes to wake at the crack of dawn for some unholy reason."</p>
<p>"I wake up at a normal time. Finan on the other hand doesn't like to grace us with an appearance until mid afternoon." Sihtric retorted with a poke to Finan's side.</p>
<p>Uhtred laughed and Finan shrugged, unable to disagree.</p>
<p>"There's something I need to see Annie for before we head off. I'll meet you outside Finan. See you tomorrow Uhtred." The two men waved in goodbye before Sihtric dissapeared down the corridor.</p>
<p>The room felt smaller with Sihtric gone and Finan couldn't think of anything to say to dissipate the charged atmosphere that settled between them. Everything had felt so natural earlier but now he was second guessing himself and it made him tongue tied. Uhtred seemed lost for words too, as he dug around in his locker for something Finan couldn't see.</p>
<p>In the end, Finan chickened out, shrugging on his coat and was just about to follow Sihtric when Uhtred called his name.</p>
<p>"Finan?" </p>
<p>"Yeah?" Finan's head whipped around to face Uhtred and his breath caught at the uncertain look in Uhtred's eyes as he swallowed before begining to speak.</p>
<p>"Today was fun. I wondered if you wouldn't mind doing it again sometime?"</p>
<p>It was a second before Finan absorbed the words and he swallowed himself before smiling at Uhtred "I'd love to."</p>
<p>"Good." </p>
<p>Uhtred returned his smile as Finan nodded and echoed "Good" before retreating back to the kitchen, a stupid grin on his face. Absorbing what had just happened, he nearly ran into Sihtric, who sent him an inquisitive look.</p>
<p>"Later" he shook his head, before putting an arm around Sihtric and sheparding him outside. Finan didn't say much on their walk home but he smiled more than Sihtric had seen him smile in weeks and he took that as a good sign.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A little more</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Uhtred started dropping by Sihtric and Finan's house more and more after that. To Sihtric's amazement, Finan had been getting up earlier and earlier, insisting that the house be cleaned every morning just in case Uhtred stopped by. That wasn't an impossibility either, as Uhtred was over more times than he wasn't. Despite Finan's initial prediction, was proving to be a natural at Mario Kart.</p><p>Much to Sihtric's exasperation, however, Finan and Uhtred's relationship had seemed to stagnate somewhere between friendship and something a little more. This resulted in a lot of meaningful glances and not a lot else. Some days, Sihtric was ready to bang their heads together. Still, Uhtred made a nice addition to their household and the place almost felt a little empty when he left for the evening.</p><p>***</p><p>The following Thursday was Sihtric's birthday and Finan had managed to convince Alf to give him, Osferth and Uhtred the night off. It was late enough in the season that business was quite quiet and the temporary staff were experienced enough to hold down the fort for one night.</p><p>Finan had invited Aethelflaed, her friend Ava, Uhtred and Osferth over for dinner before heading out for a few drinks. He was making Sihtric's favourite risotto and was hiding the birthday cake he had made while Sihtric was at work that morning in his bedroom. His friend was a well-known cake fiend and if it wasn't hidden, Finan knew he'd have swiped a slice before their guests had even arrived.</p><p>The atmosphere in the kitchen was relaxed, helped along with a few glasses of wine and Finan was content to watch their small group of friends chat while he finished dinner. Some things were too good to be true, however, and before long his introspective peace was broken by his rather infuriatingly insightful co-worker.</p><p>"So" Osferth leaned against the kitchen counter and leveled Finan with an inquisitive expression "why haven't you asked him out yet?" </p><p>"Have I, what? Shh!" Finan glanced around to check who was in earshot but luckily, everyone seemed preoccupied with conversations of their own. Sensing his gaze, Uhtred glanced up and sent Finan a small smile. The now familiar knot tugged at his insides before he begrudgingly looked back at Osferth "For your information, he asked me out." The words came out mumbled from the side of his mouth.</p><p>Osferth's eyebrows raised at that "so why are you still making doe eyes at eachother rather than just getting on with it and putting the rest of us out of our misery?" He punctuated his words with a large gulp of wine.</p><p>Suddenly becoming very engrossed in the task of stirring the risotto, Finan floundered. It just wasn't as simple as Osferth made out. Sure, Uhtred had expressed an interest in seeing Finan again but that was before their friendship had developed. There was more at stake now. They had settled into an easy rhythm and Finan didn't quite know how- or indeed whether- to get out of it.</p><p>"It's complicated" he said finally and Osferth rolled his eyes at the cliché.</p><p>"It's not complicated at all. You like him, he likes you. Stop dancing around one another and just go for it already." He learnt over Finan and stole a piece of bread before fixing him with a final stare and walking off to rejoin the others.</p><p>Finan shook his head, amused at Osferth's black and white view of the world. Chancing a second glance at Uhtred, he was shocked to find the other man's eyes still on him, a questioning expression on his face. In answer, Finan poked his tongue out and Uhtred laughed, redirecting his attention to focus on the story Ava was telling the group.</p><p>***</p><p>When dinner had been eaten and a mound of plates stacked next to the sink, Finan slipped out to fetch the cake. </p><p>Carefully juggling it while closing the door behind him with his foot, he nearly collided with Uhtred walking up the stairs.</p><p>"Toilet" he nodded at the bathroom door in explanation before looking down "ah! Is this the famous cake I've heard so much about?"</p><p>Finan laughed "Sihtric has set the expectations far too high. He loves cake. Anyway, I better get this downstairs before I drop it. See you in a sec."</p><p>"See you" Uhtred called back as they parted ways.</p><p>Sihtric's face lit up when he saw the cake.</p><p>"I almost thought you'd let me down" he sent a narrow eyes look teasingly at Finan.</p><p>"Would I ever?" He joked back.</p><p>"Is it?" Sihtric shot out a finger to pinch some of the frosting on the top, hoping Finan had made his favourite, salted caramel.</p><p>"You'll have to wait and see!" He yanked the cake away from Sihtric, glad he'd hidden it so far.</p><p>The wait appeared to be worth it however, if Sihtric's grin was anything to go by. Once the obligatory Happy Birthday had been sung and candles had been blown out, (much to Sihtric's embarrassment) Finan had finally let him have a slice.</p><p>"Finan, I think this might be your best yet" he professed through a mouthful of cake and Finan swatted him on the shoulder. Everyone around the table nodded in agreement and Finan felt his cheeks grow hot.</p><p>"I'm glad you like it." He mumbled, secretly pleased with the praise.</p><p>"It <em>was</em> worth the wait, Sihtric was right" Uhtred said quietly from his place next to Finan. The latter smiled, ridiculously pleased with the praise.</p><p>As Finan was about to reply, he noticed that Uhtred had a smudge of frosting on his cheek. Before he could think about what he was doing, he reached out to wipe it away with his thumb, only to notice how close they were the second their skin touched.</p><p>"You had a little, um, there gone." He mumbled, heart jumping at the glint in Uhtred's eye. </p><p>The moment was well and truly ruined, however, when he noticed Osferth and Sihtric mumbling to eachother out of the corner of his eye before sending him a glance along the lines of 'we told you so." </p><p>Finan chose to ignore them and instead, redirect his attention the glass of wine in front of him.</p><p>***</p><p>Moving on to a club had been one of Finan's better ideas in a long time. No longer in the firing line of Sihtric and Osferth's knowing looks, he felt himself relax. He had the warm glow that came with feeding his friends good food and the alcohol had started working its way through his system, making him feel boneless. Waiting at the bar to be served, he let his mind wander.</p><p>"You look happy" Uhtred had come up behind him, surprising Finan with how close his voice was.</p><p>Stifling his jolt of alarm, he nodded "I am" he agreed "aren't you?"</p><p>"Very" Uhtred nodded, placing his empty bottle on the bar and leaning closer.</p><p>"Though I'd be happier if you'd taken me up on my offer" Uhtred's eyes met Finan's and his fingers ghosted across the Irishman's wrist, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.</p><p>"What offer would that be?" Finan hid the nerves churning his stomach with a coy smile.</p><p>"Well, when I asked if I could see you again, hanging out with Sihtric wasn't exactly what I had in mind. No offense to Sihtric, of course." He glanced over to their group on the dancefloor with a grin.</p><p>Before Finan could answer, it was his turn to order. Asking for a round for himself and Uhtred, he used the time to consider what to say.</p><p>Finally, he settled for "I'm sorry. I'm not the best at this, if you couldn't tell."</p><p>Uhtred shrugged "no worries, we have plenty of time."</p><p>Bolstered by Uhtred's gentle encouragement, Finan smiled. Handing Uhtred his drink, he took the other man's spare hand in his own and pulled him through the crowds onto the dancefloor. Uhtred, however seemed wildly against the idea, pulling Finan backwards.</p><p>"No, no, I don't dance!" Uhtred protested and Finan made a face of mock amazement.</p><p>"And I thought you were good at everything?" He teased but anything else he could say was drowned out by the music and the cheer Sihtric let out when he saw them "there you are!" He shouted at them. Their friend was more than on his way to being drunk but looked happy enough so Finan just nudged him indulgently and got on with the business of seeing just how bad Uhtred's dancing was.</p><p>***</p><p>"I love you Finan" Sihtric sighed as the other man pulled off his shoes and covered him with the duvet "you're the best friend."</p><p>"You're drunk" Finan replied with a affectionate smile "I'm glad you had a good night."</p><p>"The best night." Sihtric hummed contently, eyes drifting shut as he burrowed into his pillow.</p><p>Finan swept the hair out of his friends eyes before retreating to the door "Happy birthday" he called as he left the room but was answered with nothing more than a soft snore. Grinning to himself, he headed back downstairs where he found Uhtred sat on the sofa with two cups of coffee on the table in front of him.</p><p>"How is he?" He looked up as Finan entered and held out one of the mugs to him.</p><p>Finan took it gratefully before smiling "thank you. Happy and fast asleep. He's never been great at holding his drink, but he's an easy drunk. Thanks for helping me get him home."</p><p>Uhtred laughed at that "I thought you might need the emotional support if he decided to puke in the taxi." They laughed at the memory of Sihtric trying his best to not do just that "it was a good night, thank you."</p><p>"For what?" Finan asked, surprised.</p><p>"For dinner, for the invite, for making me laugh more in the past couple of weeks that I have in years, take your pick." Uhtred shrugged, an arm moving to rest on the sofa behind Finan's shoulders.</p><p>The atmosphere had grown charged again, as it always seemed to whenever they were alone together. Finan's mouth went dry, lost once again in those blue eyes that seemed to root him to the spot.</p><p>Emboldened by Uhtred's words and the generous amount he'd had to drink, Finan threw caution to the wind. Closing the gap between him and Uhtred, he brushed his lips softly against the other man's.</p><p>"You're welcome" he ghosted against Uhtred's lips.</p><p>In answer, Uhtred curled an arm around Finan's neck and pulled him close again. This second kiss was bruising, and stole the breath from Finan's lungs. If Finan's kiss had been tentative and shy, as he had been so far in their relationship, this kiss was all Uhtred. Gripping the other man's arm with one hand, Finan wound the other into his hair, demanding more.</p><p>Without breaking their kiss, Uhtred pulled Finan onto his lap. In this position, they were fully pressed against each other. Suddenly, there were far too many clothes between them. </p><p>Finan moaned against Uhtred's parted lips "upstairs" he growled, punctuating his words with a nip at Uhtred's bottom lip.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for all your lovely comments so far!</p><p>I figured these two weren't very good at going slow, so why not jump in head first eh? We've got the good stuff coming up in the next chapter, wink wink.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. A Leap of Faith</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They made their way upstairs clumsily, only getting up two steps before Uhtred pinned Finan against the wall for another kiss. </p><p>After that, they only made it another three steps before Finan was wrestling Uhtred's shirt from his body, kissing down the other man's neck to the hard muscle of his chest. </p><p>Uhtred moaned as Finan bit one of his nipples before soothing it with a curl of his tongue.</p><p>"Shh" Finan whispered, glancing at Sihtric's closed bedroom door. Perhaps the stairs wasn't the best place for this, despite the likelihood that Sihtric was passed out asleep.</p><p>Taking Uhtred by the hand, he pulled him the final part of the way, closing the door firmly behind them. Barely had the latch caught, however, before Uhtred was kissing him again, drawing another moan from his lips.</p><p>The remainder of their clothes were quickly shed and Finan walked them back until Uhtred's legs bumped against the bed. Gently pushing him so that the other man sunk into the mattress, Finan dropped to his knees. He reveled in the way Uhtred's breath caught as his mouth ghosted up the other man's thigh. The intake of breath became a drawn out groan as Finan took Uhtreds full cock into his hand and pumped a few times.</p><p>Lifting his gaze to meet Uhtred's eyes, he slowly lent forward with a wicked grin to teasingly lick at its head. Uhtred bucked upwards softly and Finan glanced up again before taking him into his mouth fully.</p><p>Finan had always been more comfortable with the physical side of relationships and was enjoying finally having the upper hand as Uhtred writhed beneath him. </p><p>Before long, Uhtred's cock was leaking steadily and one of his hands had tangled into Finan's hair, coherent sentences abandoned in favour of small gasps and moans.</p><p>Just as Finan was sure Uhtred would come, he was shocked by a hand pulling him upwards. </p><p>"Not yet" Uhtred murmered against the soft skin of Finan's neck, wrapping a hand around Finan's as yet neglected hardness "I want you" he added as a whisper in Finan's ear and the Irishman keened.</p><p>He wanted Uhtred too, Lord did he want. Drawing away from the other man, Finan reached over to grasp the lube he kept in his bedside table. Silently, he coated his fingers before reaching down to tease his hole before inserting a finger.</p><p>Uhtred drank in the sight, stroking himself in time with Finan's movements.</p><p>Soon, Finan was riding his fingers and fisting his cock with his other hand, breath coming in short hitches when his fingers curled just right. Finan grinned as Uhtred's mouth fell open, eyes nearly black with need. He was enjoying putting on a show, enjoying seeing the effect it was having on Uhtred.</p><p>It wasn't enough though. He needed more. Crawling over to Uhtred, he straddled him and slowly lowered himself onto the other man's length.</p><p>When he was fully seated, Uhtred's head fell back with a moan and Finan leant forward to kiss along the length of his neck. Finan was so full, despite his preparations he took a moment to adjust to the feeling. After a while he started to move, drawing up to ride Uhtred's tip before sinking fully. For weeks he had secretly wondered what this would feel like and it was better than expected. Uhtred's hands came to rest against his thighs, wandering along his skin aimlessly. </p><p>Uhtred began fucking upwards into him then, sending ripples of pleasure through Finan's body. When he thought he couldn't take anymore, Uhtred wrapped a hand around Finan's cock and stroked it in time with his thrusts. It was too much.</p><p>"Uhtred, Uhtred I'm-" he gasped, tangling his hands in the other man's hair once more.</p><p>Uhtred just nodded in response and moved his hips faster, filling Finan fully with each thrust. With a final gasp of Uhtred's name, Finan spilled, body tensing. Uhtred fucked him through his orgasm before stiffening and spilling his release, moaning Finan's name into the crook of his neck.</p><p>Afterwards, they lay in a tangled heap of limbs and sheets, dozing. It was a long time before either of them spoke, Finan finally braking the silence.</p><p>"Why did you move, when your Dad sold his business?" It seemed like an extreme reaction to Finan and he'd been wondering about it for a while now.</p><p>Uhtred heaved a sigh, shock briefly registering on his features at the question. He took a moment before replying, in which Finan wondered if he had probed too deeply, lulled by the intimacy they had just shared.</p><p>"I was adopted as a child, my Dad- the man who adopted me- was Danish and we spent a lot of my childhood there. When he passed away, I looked for my birth father. I would never have done it while Ragnar, my Dad, was alive- as I knew it would have hurt him too much. Once he was gone, I couldn't help but give in to curiosity."</p><p>He looked down at Finan, running a hand through his hair as he spoke.</p><p>"When I found him, it was strange. He wasn't my father, but he was blood and we got on well enough. He offered me a job at his restaurant and I was happy to take it. After a few years though, he decided he wanted to retire. He asked whether I'd like to buy his share in the business but" his voice had taken on a hard, cold tone that made Finan's eyebrows knit together "my uncle. He driped poison in his ear, said I couldn't be trusted. Of course, the bastard wanted my father's share of the family business for himself. My father didn't see it like that though, and I could see his doubt. After all, we hadn't known eachother for so long. Like I fool, I let my anger get the better of me and I left. Before I could make peace, my father passed away. I-" Uhtred broke off, anger and resentment and grief clouding his features. Finan sat up, taking Uhtred's had in his own and pulling him closer.</p><p>"I'm sorry" was all he said, because what else could be said? </p><p>"Don't be, it's in the past." Uhtred replied in a tone that wasn't altogether convincing.</p><p>"And your future?" Finan asked cheekily in an attempt to lighten the mood.</p><p>"We'll see, won't we." he smiled before dropping a kiss to the top of Finan's head. </p><p>They sat in silence for a long time after that, content in eachothers presence until they fell asleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm sorry this one's a little short but I didn't want to leave you hanging after the last chapter! <br/>Thank you again for your lovely comments ❤️</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Morning After</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Finan woke the next morning to a combination of crashing, slamming and swearing. Driven by the need for water and a painkiller for the thumping pain in his head, he decided to investigate.</p>
<p>Glancing sideways, he noted Uhtred was still asleep, head resting on his arm. <em>How did he look so good, even when asleep? </em></p>
<p>Torn between easing the pain in his head and watching Uhtred sleep, he begrudgingly accepted that his head won. Gently, he inched out of bed, as not to disturb the man sleeping next to him. Finan felt a shiver of disbelief and amazement that last night had actually happened. </p>
<p>Entering the kitchen, he found the source of noise that had woken him. Sihtric was battling with the pan cupboard, which had a habit of spiling its contents on anyone unlucky enough to open it.</p>
<p>"Morning" Finan grumbled, pulling Sihtric's attention from his attempt to stack everything neatly once more. Sihtric had the belief-defying habit of being able to drink whatever he wanted and be able to wake up the next day as though he'd drunk nothing but holy water. Seeing Finan, he brightened considerably.</p>
<p>"A very good morning for some. Looks like someone had fun last night?" Sihtric raised an eyebrow, smirking at Finan as he threw him Uhtred's shirt, abandoned in their haste the night before.</p>
<p>Catching it, Finan gave Sihtric an innocent look "whatever do you mean?" He replied, though the game was given away pretty quickly as Uhtred took that exact moment to stumble downstairs.</p>
<p>Sihtric sent Finan a final grin, before returning to his battle with the pan cupboard. </p>
<p>"Morning" Uhtred smiled as he entered the kitchen. Finan noticed that he looked a little sheepish and felt a pang of guilt that Uhtred had to wake up to an empty bed.</p>
<p>"Morning" Finan smiled back, wishing he could say a lot of things that Sihtric's ever-listening presence made impossible. He eventually settled for "coffee?"</p>
<p>"Please" Uhtred nodded, regaining some of his usual calmness. </p>
<p>"Tea, Sihtric?" Finan turned to his friend, knowing Sihtric's dislike of coffee. Sihtric's face, however, seemed to pale a little at the thought, making Finan chuckle. Perhaps he was feeling last night's excesses, after all.</p>
<p>"No thanks. I might just head back to bed for an hour."</p>
<p>"Old age doesn't come on his own." Finan joked and Uhtred laughed at Sihtric's grimace.</p>
<p>Finally closing the door of the now less-likely-to-kill-the-person-stupid-enough-to-open-it pan cupboard, he shuffled towards the kitchen door looking sorry for himself.</p>
<p>As he was about to leave, however, Sihtric turned back, grimness replaced by a knowing smirk "Oh, while I'm happy you've finally gotten over yourselves, please try not to have sex anywhere I might accedentally see."</p>
<p>Before either of them could do more than gape like fishes, he dissapeared.</p>
<p>Finan turned slowly to look at Uhtred, finding the other man's eyes already on him. Finan cracked first, bursting into laughter that was swiftly joined by Uhtred's own.</p>
<p>"Sorry about this morning." Finan said, once they had sobered enough.</p>
<p>"Don't worry about it" Uhtred closed the gap between them to place a small kiss on Finan's lips "last night was fun."</p>
<p>"It was" Finan agreed, wrapping his arms around Uhtred's waist "is this my t-shirt?" He looked down at the top that was a little too small for the larger man.</p>
<p>"Mine got lost" Uhtred explained, nodding his head to where his shirt lay abandoned on the kitchen table.</p>
<p>"Sorry about that" Finan shrugged, without an ounce of regret.</p>
<p>Pulling Uhtred closer, he gave him the kiss he wished he'd been able to wake Uhtred up with. Satisfied to feel Uhtred's body respond to him, he let out a soft moan of protest when the taller man pulled away.</p>
<p>"Careful, carry on like that and we might end up breaking Sihtric's new rule." Uhtred winked, placing a final kiss on Finan's lips before moving away reluctantly to take a seat at the kitchen table.</p>
<p>Finan's body mourned the loss of the other man's warmth but he busied himself with making the forgotten coffee. Head still thumping slightly, he rummaged in a drawer for painkillers. Knocking two back, he offered them to Uhtred who shook his head.</p>
<p>"I'm good thanks."</p>
<p>"Smug bastard" Finan muttered, making Uhtred laugh again. </p>
<p>Setting two mugs on the kitchen table, he took a seat beside the other man.</p>
<p>"What are your plans for today?" Finan asked hopefully. Only belatedly did he worry about coming across as a little clingy. He really wasn't that good at this.</p>
<p>"I need to head over to mine to change before work tonight." Uhtred replied and Finan's heart sank a little. The memories of last night we're still a little too raw for him to be happy with the idea of Uhtred leaving. He had hoped that whatever was growing between them was more than just a one night stand.</p>
<p>Perhaps noticing Finan's reaction to his words, Uhtred arched an eyebrow "you could come too, if you like? We wouldn't have to worry about Sihtric walking in."</p>
<p>Trying not to look as pleased as he felt, Finan nodded "okay" and took a sip of his coffee. </p>
<p>Uhtred smiled at that and ran his thumb over the other man's knuckles. Finan's stomach lurched at the warmth in Uhtred's gaze.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry this one is a little short! For something that started as a super short fic, this one has grown a mind of its own. Thank you for reading ❤️</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Huge love and thanks to everyone in our amazing little fandom ♡</p></blockquote></div></div>
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